Горячая тема! В сети сейчас куча роликов на эту тему, но… Насколько они правдивы? В упражнениях для учащихся B2+ ковыряемся в фактах и разбираемся, — миллениалы реально умнее или это все хайп?
Before watching
Discuss in pairs:
- Do you think teenagers today are better or worse at reading and problem-solving than 20 years ago? Why?
- How many hours a day do you think a typical 15-year-old spends on a phone or tablet?
- What’s the difference between using technology to learn and using it for fun? Can you give examples of each?
Key vocabulary
Match the word/phrase to its meaning. Try before watching, then check while you watch.
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. disruption | a) something that gets worse or declines |
| 2. decline (v.) | b) a break or interruption in normal activity |
| 3. the elephant in the room | c) to remove or replace something |
| 4. displace | d) an obvious problem that people avoid talking about |
| 5. deliberate (adj.) | e) done on purpose, intentional |
| 6. capacity | f) the ability or resources to do something |
While watching
Answer as you watch:
- What is PISA, and how many teenagers take part?
- What is one reason people give for the falling scores?
- Why do the PISA researchers say COVID «cannot be the full story»?
- What is the neuroscientist’s theory about what happened around 2010?
- Which subject shows the steepest drop in scores? Why does this worry the speaker?
- What does the graph about tech use in school show? What’s the key difference between using devices for leisure and using them for learning?
- What does the example of Singapore suggest?
- What new topic will future PISA tests include, and when will the results be published?
- According to the speaker, is falling attention only a «Gen Z problem»?
After watching
Discuss:
- The video mentions several possible causes for falling scores: COVID, screens, mental health, and changes in schools. Which do you think is the most important? Rank them.
- «It’s much more important to think about what we do on screens and why we use them» than how much time we spend on them. Do you agree?
- Should schools ban phones and tablets completely? What are the arguments for and against?
- Do you think young people in your own country read less than previous generations? Why?
- Do you think this decline is limited to Gen Z, or could older generations be affected too?
Debate
Split the class into two groups.
- Group A: Argue that technology in schools is mainly harmful to learning.
- Group B: Argue that technology in schools is mainly helpful, when used correctly.
Use evidence from the video to support your side (e.g. the Singapore example, the leisure vs. learning graph).